Chapter Text
Lisa took in a deep breath.
She stood in the center of Mondstadt, basking in the afternoon sunlight. Its lazy warmth was a stark contrast to the clamor that surrounded her, arisen from the throngs of citizens rushing about from business to business. The restless midday bustle was a refreshing sight, one she had missed amidst the sparse population in Sumeru’s Academia. The sweet breath of Mond’s wind tickled her neck, and she finally understood why it was called the city of freedom. When compared to her time in Sumeru, it certainly felt like a new beginning.
It had been a difficult adjustment to make. She was in a new city, having just left behind both her only friends and her only purpose. With nothing to set herself toward and no plan for the future, her sights fell to the Ordo Favonius. And so she enlisted as a simple librarian.
It was strange at first. It felt to her like a waste of her talent, and in the days following her employment, a familiar itch for power and profound knowledge gnawed at the back of her mind. It had been hard to leave behind all the advancements she had made and even harder to stamp out the endless craving for more, but when she remembered all that she had seen in Sumeru, she knew it was for the best.
She pondered it all as she strolled along the street, taking in the sights of the city that she had yet to grow accustomed to. In this distraction, she almost missed the woman barreling toward her unannounced.
Almost. At the last moment, she looked up and sidestepped the obstacle gracefully. Annoyance pulled her brows into a tight line, and she turned her head to begin, “Excuse me, could you-”
Oh.
The words died in her throat when the woman shifted to face her. Long blonde hair, pulled tight into a flawless ponytail, shone a breathtaking golden in the reflected sunlight. Lisa felt blinded by her in the best way possible. Her sheepish smile was radiant, curled around soft lips and smooth cheeks. When Lisa’s gaze fell lower, she noted the sharpness of her jaw, and even lower still was the broadness of her shoulders, and-
The woman was speaking. Lisa looked up quickly to meet her eyes, light sky--blues that widened with concern. “I’m so sorry! Are you hurt?”
“Not at all,” Lisa responded, an easy smile tugging at her lips. “Are you?”
“No, no. I’m awfully sorry, I wasn’t looking where I-”
Lisa gave her a dismissive wave, struggling to hide her amusement at the blonde’s flustered state. “It’s quite alright.” Her eyes fell to the woman’s hands as she clutched a stack of papers to her chest. “You seem to be in a hurry, and I’d hate for you to be late on my account. I should be apologizing.”
She shook her head swiftly. “No, no, it was my mistake. I’ll be more careful in the future.” Despite the load in her arms, she still extended a hand. “I’m Jean. I don’t believe I’ve seen you around.”
Lisa knew enough to recognize the emblem on Jean’s attire. She was a member of the Ordo, and a Captain at that. Good, she thought. It seems I’ll be seeing more of her.
She tried not to think about how when she grasped her hand, they slotted together with such ease that it felt like they had always belonged that way. “That’s a lovely name. I’m Lisa.”
Jean’s face lit up with recognition. “Ah, you must be the new librarian! I apologize, I’d love to stay and chat, but I really must deliver this paperwork. It’s been lovely to meet you, Miss Lisa.”
“Likewise,” Lisa responded, and she meant it. “I hope I’ll be seeing you around, Captain Jean.”
How endearing it was when Jean’s cheeks flushed pink at the use of her title. As the woman turned and dashed off, Lisa thought she just might enjoy her stay in Mondstadt. Though her regrets for all she had lost still lingered, she felt them to be withering away with each passing moment.
-
Several days crawled by, and with each one, Lisa found herself growing more and more accustomed to a calmer life. She was traipsing along the paths in upper Mondstadt, relishing in the cool night’s breeze and basking underneath the starlight. The streets there were relatively quiet, save for the croaking of insects and the ever constant whistling of the wind. It was serene and peaceful in a way that Lisa delighted in.
Her stroll eventually led her to the headquarters of the Ordo Favonius. The tranquil silence of the night was interjected with muffled grunts and a sound that must have been the slashing of a training sword against wood, gradually growing in volume as she approached.
Spurred on by sheer curiosity, she followed the sound to its source: none other than Captain Jean, alone in the training grounds behind the headquarters. With her stance as flawless as the citizens had said it to be, she stood, gripping a wooden sword tightly and panting. She took only a moment’s rest before diving back into her training, darting between the training dummies laid before her and hacking away.
Her form was just as eloquent as Lisa had expected. She moved swiftly, each strike of her blade sharp and calculated. Even fighting a stationary opponent, her feet danced mesmerizingly across the ground, dodging and weaving and twirling in an impeccable display of mastered footwork. Lisa watched with great interest, captivated and unable to tear her eyes away.
Several moments passed until Jean came to a halt. She turned, flashing Lisa a welcoming smile as she wiped a hand across the sweat on her forehead. “Good evening, Miss Lisa. Is there anything I can do for you?”
Her smile was returned in full. “No, no, I was merely fascinated by your training. I am no swordsman, but even I can tell your form is incredible.”
Even in the dim light, she could see the pink tinge in the woman’s cheeks. Jean ran her hand through her bangs as a slightly embarrassed grin formed on her lips. “Thank you. I’m flattered, however, there is still much I need to work on. There is always something to improve.”
“Even so, isn’t it awfully late to be training?” Lisa inquired, tipping her head to the side just slightly. As she spoke, she gestured to the otherwise empty surrounding streets. To emphasize her point, a lone cricket chirped into the still air.
The knight chuckled in response. “Perhaps. However, I must train at every available opportunity if I wish to be strong enough to uphold the legacy of the Gunnhildr Clan… Even at times when I lack a training partner.”
At this, Lisa hesitated. She had not truly used her power since her return from Sumeru. The lingering fear still pricked at her mind, ever persistent. Still, Jean’s tantalizing smile was far too inviting, and she found herself unable to resist. She needed a training partner, didn’t she? Lisa had heard of her deeds to the city, and who was she to deny her in a time of her need?
So she relented. She could make an exception, just this once. “If you are searching for a training partner, I’d be happy to offer myself as an option.”
“Oh?” Jean’s eyebrow quirked in hopeful delight. “I thought you were a scholar?”
Though the comment surely had no further meaning, its implications were not lost on Lisa. So Jean had heard about her. She supposed her reputation preceded her.
“I am a woman of many talents,” she responded nonchalantly, sauntering onto the training ground. With a wave of her hand that was measured to look as casual as possible, she summoned her catalyst and stood before Jean.
“I do not mean to impose,” Jean began, though she drew her sword and readied her stance. “Do not feel forced to spar with me.”
“Oh, that’s quite alright. Are you ready?”
“Yes.”
Jean’s skill was even more evident up close. She wasted no time in lunging forward, driving her blade toward Lisa. However, her movement was restricted, almost as if she was holding herself back. How amusing, Lisa thought. And I thought I would have to be the one restraining myself.
It was easy for Lisa to sidestep her blow and respond with an equally calculated burst of lightning. In turn, Jean ducked away from the blast effortlessly. Their blows were equally strangled, their efforts both constrained in fear of overwhelming the other. Both were caught in underestimation of the other’s persistence.
The realization seemed to strike them both at the same moment, as gradually, their pace increased. All-consuming violet met the resistance of resolute teal; Jean dispelled each attack with purposeful gusts of anemo.
All the while, Lisa grew utterly enraptured in their fight. In the ripple of Jean’s muscles as she cut through another attack, in the drop of sweat that fell from her hair, reflecting the moon like a ball of light before it fell to the ground. In the way Jean’s shoulders heaved and her breath quickened, though her form never faltered in its elegance. In the way they danced the night away together, a strange and dangerous feeling all at once. In the way something in Lisa’s chest burned, not from exhaustion nor the heat of her lightning.
They were at a stalemate and it was invigorating. Lisa was a scholar before all, and though she was accustomed to overcoming brawls with sheer power alone, Jean certainly outmatched her in training and technique. Her footwork was unmatched, light and nimble in a way Lisa had never witnessed before.
The desire for strength crept through her, ravenous and begging her for more. It would be all too easy to sink into it yet again, to throw herself into the spiraling abyss that was the unquenchable craving for knowledge and power and more. If she closed her eyes, she could almost see it…
Her eyes snapped open. She faltered, and in her moment of hesitance, Jean’s sword had struck her legs. Unable to recover, she stumbled backward.
Lisas’s back slammed against the ground, the breath knocked out of her. The cold wooden surface of a training blade pressed gently against her neck, halting her from returning to her feet before she could even make the attempt.
Looking up, she saw Jean standing directly over top of her. The subtle gleam of a streetlight shone against her back, bathing her in an almost celestial golden glow, and Lisa thought she certainly looked like some descendant of a divine being. Even stationed above her opponent, she grinned down at her.
“Do you yield?”
There was a moment of silence as Lisa pondered her options. A part of her was sure she could find some way out of this, to exert some of her power to gain back the upper hand.
But Jean was smiling so brightly at her, staring at her so expectantly. The ground beneath her was icy, unforgiving, but the warmth in Jean’s gaze threatened to melt all of her troubles away.
“Yes.” Despite it all, a blush crept to her cheeks. There was something embarrassing about being caught below the woman.
The blade was immediately lowered and a hand took its place. Lisa forced the trepidation from her expression and smiled as she took it. She had been right; Jean’s grip was firm and her hand warm as she pulled Lisa from the dirt. Electricity crackled underneath her skin around the source of the contact, though it was not the violent sparks that Lisa was so used to producing with her vision. This was something else entirely, something pleasant.
“You were incredible,” exclaimed Jean, her eyes wide in awe.
“Thank you,” she replied, though her graciousness was hollow. “And you were too. It’s no wonder all of Mondstadt speaks so highly of you, you’re a force to be reckoned with.”
Lisa’s response, calculated to carefully shift the attention from herself, worked just as intended. Jean flushed an adorable shade of pink and shifted her gaze. “I… didn’t realize I was spoken of that often.”
“It’s no wonder that you are, what with the skill you possess.” Lisa knew she was overdoing it, but still, there was no lie in her words. “Now, I’m afraid it really is quite late. Would you like me to walk you home?”
Jean shook her head quickly. “That’s quite alright, though I appreciate the offer. I wouldn’t want to keep you.” They had only met a handful of times, but Lisa was already beginning to detect a recurring theme of her denying assistance. Had her heart not been pounding with fear, she would have pressed on.
Instead, she conceded. “Very well. Don’t stay out here too long, though. Even the strongest knights need their rest.” She shot Jean a knowing glance as she spoke.
“Of course. Have a wonderful night, Miss Lisa.”
“Just Lisa is fine. And you too, Captain.”
“Just Jean,” she countered, and Lisa beamed despite herself.
“Alright. Farewell, Jean.”
Her smile lingered even as she turned around and began her walk home. Though, as she stepped away from the warm light of the training ground and into the darkness of the empty street, ice-cold dread crept through her blood once more.
She stared down at her hands as she walked, her lips pulled taught into a solemn frown. She had stood on the edge of the water, her heel dangerously close to dipping into its depths. She feared if she fell, she would never return.
And so she was thankful that Jean’s effulgent smile and patient nature had managed to pull her from the edge. She was certain now, more than ever, that she had made the right decision in abandoning Sumeru.
She gave her past one final push behind her and stepped forward into the light of Mondstadt’s center square, illuminated by the scattered lampposts.
A relieved smile made its way to her lips, if only slight. She was home at last.